Washing machine



June 25, 1929. o. B. woobRow WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheet s-Sheet Filed Oct. 15, 1924 4% by Q4, W

June 25, 1929. Q B. WOODROW 1,718,447

WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct 15, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 39 J7 J7 E 2; $2 50 68 by Q why dc Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,718,447 PATENT OFFICE.

omvnn IB. woonnow, or NEWTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOB mo woonnow wasnmc ncnmn COMPANY, or PELLA, IOWA, A conroaarron or IOWA.

WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed October 15, 1924. Serial No. 748,788.

This invention relates to improvements in washing machines of that type employing an oscillatin tub.

The 01)]801? of my invention is to provide a washing machine so constructed and arranged that it may be formed of a number of units, each of which maybe independently assembled, and when so assembled ma be easily and quickly placed together to orm a complete machine.

A further object is to provide an improved mechanism for oscillating the tub and for throwing the said driving mechanism into and out of gear.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying draw-" in s, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved washing machine.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

. Figure 4 is an enlarged 'detail view of the washing machine housing showing a portion of the same broken away to illustrate the manner of supporting the tub.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional View on the line 5'-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 66of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the lower gear housing section.

My improved washing machine comprises a circular frame member 10 having'downwardly extended legs 11, said legs being connected at their lower ends with cross braces 12, one of which is provided with a motor platform 13 on which an electric motor 14 is mounted. The brace members 12 are connected' to a central hub 15 provided with an n wardly extended shaft 16. The lower end of the shaft is mounted in a suitable socket 17 and rigidly secured therein by means of a clampin bolt 18 extended through suitable cars 19. he circular member 10, the le s 11, the cross members 12 and the upright shaft 16 form a base member which may be taken assembled and constructed in a single unit.

The upper end of the shaft 16 is designed to carry the oscillating tub 20 formed cylindrical in the usual manner. The bottom of 32, said casing being placed in the tub is provided with a supporting spider 21, each member of which has an upwardly cxtendin arm 22 secured to the bottom of the tub 20. he hub 23 of the spider 21 is provided with a downwardly extended sleeve 24 designed to rest over the-upper end of the shaft 16. A steel ball 25 is inserted in the sleeve so as to rest on top of the shaft. 'This provides an anti-friction bearing. This forms the tub unit which may be easily applied by inserting the ball 25 and then lacing it over the upper end of the sha 16 without the use of any tools. The central portion of the tub 20 is provided with an opening 26 to which an outlet valve 27 is connected, said valve being provided with a control rod 28 which extends radially across the bottom of the tub and has its outer end provided with a, hand wheel 29, which provides means for emptying the tub.

A trough 30 is detachabl secured to the hub 23 and extends downwardl and outwardly through an opening 31 inside of the casing position after the tub has been placed on the shaft 16, so as to form a guard for the tub, to prevent the operator from getting tangled therewith, while in operation.

The upper edge of the casing 32 is provided with an .inwardly extended flange 33 which prevents clothing and water from'getting between the casing and the tub while the clothing is being removed. The trough 30 is placed in position each time the'tub is emptied through an opening 34 in'the side of the casing 32, said opening being provided with a door 35. The handle 29 also rests in position in front of the door opening 34 when the tub is in its normal position.

The mechanism for imparting oscillating movement to the tub will now be described.

A gear casing 36 is provided which is formed in upper and lower sections, the lower section being provided with a cylindrical opening 37 designed to carry a vertically arranged shaft 38, which extends through the top of the cover member 39. The said cover member is provided with a recess 40. The lower end of the shaft 38 is provided with a bevel gear 41 having in its web two upwardly extended pins 42. A sleeve 43 is slidably and rotatively mounted on the shaft 38, the lower end of the sleeve being provided with a disk 44 having openings 45 designed to receive the pins 44 when the sleeve 43 is in its lower position of movement. The central portion of the sleeve 42) is provided with an annular groove 46 and its upper end provided with a pinion wheel 47. In the'lower casing member 36 1s a vertically arranged crank shaft 48 which has its lower end mountedin a socket 49, the upper end extending through the cover plate 39. The shaft 48 is designed to carry a spur gear 50 which meshes with the pinion 47. The hub of the gear 50 is provided with a pair of upwardly extended lugs 51 between which the shaft 48 extends. Bolts 52 are passed through the lugs 51 so as to provide means for clamping the gear to the said shaft. The bolts 52 are designed to pass through grooves 53 in the sides of the shaft 48. This provides means whereby the gear 50 may be rigidly secured to the crank shaft 48.

The upper end of the shaft 48 is provided with a crank 54 having a crank pin 55 which is operatively connected with the connecting rod 56, the free end of which is pivotally gonnectcd to a lug 57 on which one of the sp der members 21, and which is located a slight distance from the center of said spider. Thus it will be seen that by imparting rotary movement to the crank shaft 48 through the gear" 50, the tub 20 may be made to oscillate.

To overcome the momentum of the tub, I have provided a spring 58, one end of which is connected to the casing 86, and the other end to a lug 59 on the spider 21, the spring being so arranged that tension will be applied on each half revolution of the crank 54, in the usual manner.

Mounted horizontally within the casing 36 is a shaft 60 having its inner end provided with a bevel gear 61 in mesh with the bevel gear 41. The outer end of the shaft 60 is provided with a belt wheel 6:2, which is designed to carry a belt 63 operatively connected with the motor 14, and which provides means for continuously imparting rotary movement to the bevel gear 61 which is thrown into and out of operation with the gear 50 by elevating and lowering the sleeve 46. The face of the teeth ofthe gear 47 is considerably wider than those of the gear 50-, so as to permit the gear 47 to he slid upwardly and downwardly without throwing the teeth out of mesh.

For raising and lowering the sleeve 43 I have provided a block 64 which rests in the said groove 46. The block 64 is pivotally connected to a crank arm 65 on the inner end of the shaft 66, said crank shaft 66 being mountedin a detachable bearing member 67 which extends through one side of the casing 36. The outer end-of the crank shaft 66 is provided with an operating arm 68 which has a vertically arranged rod 69 extending upwardly between the tub 20 and the casing" 32, as clearly shown in Figure 1. The upper end of the rod 69 is bent outwardly forming a handle member 70, and extended through a vertically arranged slot 71 in the casing 32. The upper end'of the slot is formed semi-circular with a downwardly extended portion 72. The handle is designed to rest in the downwardly extended portion 72 when in an elevated position. A spring 73 is provided for moving the rod 69 downwardly. The upper end of the spring is connected to the said rod 69 and the lower end to a rivet 74 in the casing 32.

Thus it will be seen that by elevating and lowering the rod 69 I have provided means whereby the arm 68 will be oscillated and the sleeve 43 elevated and lowered, to cause the washing machine to be thrown out of operative relation with the driving gear 41.

The casing 86 is secured to the circular member 10 by means of a bracket 75. In order to prevent twisting movement of the casing as the crank 54 is being operated, I have formed integral with the lower casing member an inwardly extended arm 76, the inner end of which is provided with a clamp 77 to engage the shaft 16. Said arm 76 provides means for rigidly holding the casing 36 against any oscillatory movement.

It will be seen that the driving mechanism for the tub is practically all mounted in the casing 36 which may be assembled in a unit and applied to the frame member 10 by means of bolts 78 and by means of the clamping device 77.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the washing machine comprises three distinct units; a base member, the casing 36 in which practically all of the driving mechanism is mounted, and the tub portion 20, each of which may be assembled at various points in the shop and mounted in the assembling room, or the machine may be shipped in three units in a knock down form, to thereby facilitate reduced freight rates. The units are of such form that they may be crated separately and more easily handled, which also reduces the loss caused by breakage.

I claim as my invention:

1. A washing machine comprising an annular base member having downwardly projecting legs, a spider connecting said legs having a central hub, a shaft extending upwardly from said hub, a washing machine tub pivotally connected to the upper end of said shaft to oscillate about the axis .of the same, a gear casing, a drive shaft in said gear casing, a crank shaft, means for imparting oscillatory movement to said tub from said crank shaft, means for throwing the crank shaft into and out of operative relation with said driving shaft, means for detachably securing said gear casing to said annular frame member to support it against downward movement, the gear casing being provided with a radially extended arm, and means for clamping the free end of said arm to said upright shaft to support the gear casing against torsional movement.

2. A washing machine comprising a supporting frame, a tub, means for pivotally mounting said tub to oscillate about a vertical axis, means for imparting oscillatory movement to said tub, the central portion of the bottom of said tub being provided with an outlet opening, a valve for closing said opening, the outlet of said valve being at a point centrally below the bottom of said tub and above said spider, a trough for receiving the discharge water means for supporting said trough radially beneath said tub with its inner end beneath said valve.

3. In a washing machine, a supporting from said valve, and

frame having an upwardly projecting shaft, a tub, a spider rotatively mounted on the upper end of said shaft, the outer ends of the arms of said spider being projected upwardly for supporting said tub in such a manner that a space is provided between the tub and said spider, the bottom of said tub being provided with an opening in its central portion, a valve casing communicating with said opening and projecting downwardly, and a trough arranged radially between two spokes of said spider having its inner end terminating above the central portion of said spider and beneath said valve casing.

Des Moines, Iowa, October 4, 1924.

OLIVER B. WOODROW. 

